Low power PIR breakout board for Mysensors and evaluation

[Anticimex]

@scalz Thats very kind of you, but I am afraid I have not got the time to investigate more closely currently. Little baby present and Christmas coming up :)

[freeck]

This post is deleted!

[scalz]

hi.

just a little update, I made few tests (between two projects :persevere: ), trying to see if it could be more low power. And yes it can, it needs for instance to use higher res of course! 10-15M and increasing a little bit capacitors (100nf instead of 10nf) helped to stabilize and I was near 5uA!
Unfortunately, I didn't had big success with my false triggering...and range increased a little bit, a little bit better too with another sensor (LHI968).

But that is not my biggest concern here. And I am curious to know what you think. Like you I am searching a low power PIR <10uA, reliable, and not expensive.
But for low power, we can encounter some case like:

• holidays : lot of triggering breaking sleep mode and low power.
• In deepest sleepmode, we have no time reference for blind time etc...
• So it would require some tricks to handle everything in sketch and finally maybe the overall power consumption would increase a little bit (few uA).

In other hand, @Myna made a board with E931.96. I don't know if he got it working but I think this ic could solves all this problems.
MCU deep sleep mode could be possible, and E931.96 could handle false triggering, blind time before retriggering, low power (I think it could equals to my small board), and finally, not the least, it seems that it autocalibrates regarding the sensor. Very interesting in fact! Too bad, it seems it is available only at professionnal supplier.

So I am asking to professional supplier (Avnet) what could be the availability for this chip. I am already in contact with him for an other interesting chip. It could be great if we could have hand on this ic.
In the mean time, I have ordered some from aliexpress (I hope it's not clone!).

That's all. Thanks for reading, and for feedbacks!

[scalz]

Small is small! and more simple :) I will order it at oshpark.

Component size : 0805
I hope that will work :) I have ordered the ic at aliexpress. Let's see if it is genuine...if yes, it is not expensive compared to opamp..on the previous board. I am dreaming lol!
http://fr.aliexpress.com/item/E931-96-Ultra-Low-Power-PIR-Controller-13/32591606213.html?spm=2114.06010108.3.1.oSY46D&ws_ab_test=searchweb201556_3,searchweb201644_3_10001_10002_10005_301_10006_10003_10004_62,searchweb201560_1,searchweb1451318400_6148,searchweb1451318411_6451

@Hek: I tried to upload another simple eval board at openhardware but I was not able to save/upload it.
" Unable to save project. Please try again later or contact support."
So, I will retry later ;)

[scalz]

just a very small update to tell I'm pretty happy: I have just received my PIR chips order today (e931). Another thing to do now : a lib and look if it's fake but I hope not! stay tuned ;)

[dubanoze]

Scalz, which news about e931 ?

[scalz]

I will post some news soon ;) multiple things in progress (hw & sw) but now I'm better organized to speed up my dev in my hobby time lol

[dubanoze]

You shut down work on TSU104 version?

[TRS-80]

Following this thread with interest! Keep up the great work! :+1:

[scalz]

yep for the moment, I have a lot of e931 to use. but I had some ideas for the tsu104 so I will look at it later but don't know when yet (at the end of my todo..)

[TRS-80]

@scalz said:

I will post some news soon ;) multiple things in progress (hw & sw) but now I'm better organized to speed up my dev in my hobby time lol

I was just thinking the other day, is there any sort of post already going around here like "show off your workbench / work area?"

I am getting ready to purchase my initial supplies and some small cabinets, soldering station, etc. which will be, initially, pretty meager but I thought it would be fun to show off my little area, and I'm sure some people here have much more impressive work spaces that I'm sure many would be interested in seeing. :)

If not, I think I will create one eventually, when I get my area set up. :)

[scalz]

@TRS-80 ahah :) I thought about this too but I need to clean my lab! too much jumble :blush:

[Yveaux]

@TRS-80 said:

show off your workbench / work area?

Bit old, but still fun: http://forum.mysensors.org/topic/229/your-workshop

[hek]

@Yveaux
Still missing a picture of yours!

[Samuel235]

I'm in the middle of the schematic and parts design for my current project: http://forum.mysensors.org/topic/3449/homini-complete-room-sensor-module.

I'm very interested in the motion detection going on over here, where are you at currently with this development @scalz?

1. Would you recommend this for my motion solution, but obviously i'm looking to have this on-board my PCB rather than a module. Unless i decide some change in my initial enclosure design. I could have this mounted as a daughter/riser card on a header.

2. Is there any compromises on this board compared to normal motion detection due to its low power consumption or have you just worked wonders and got the power consumption down with no trade-offs in functionality?

3. What're your specifications on this board? I'm interested to know your current test results in terms of Power consumption, desired supply voltage, detection range (Would it detect from sitting on the ceiling any movement coming into the room/floor level of around 3m?).

[scalz]

@Samuel235

1. not easy question...I would like to have done more tests and tune on the first schematics but when I saw a lot of e931 at ali I wanted to to try this as it was a little bit easier (or not! needed a lib). but there is a big cons on e931. first is not easy to source..and at mouser no stock and not so cheap. So If I would dig in again, I think the app notes described is nice, can be improved..
2. all worked as described ;) e931 or appnote. Appnote can be few uA too, just needs care and tests. It can be used in more different ways too as it's analog, it doesn't need an mcu to work, if well tuned ;) like in common pir for instance.
3. I have been able to go as low as 5uA with appnote (with component I had in stock). but I have not ran lot of tests to compare all configuration lens (small or common), different pir sensors (I have cheap chinese, and a little bit better LHI...). Could be lower like maybe 1-2uA I think.

I don't remember, how will you power you project? ac or batt? which kind of batt?

[Samuel235]

@scalz,

Okay, well i've been looking at this PIR but the price is a little high and tbh although i know this module is not going to be THAT CHEAP, i would like to keep it airing on the lower sides of things with the amount of things going into this module.

I do plan on powering it via AC mains. This is a HUGE step for me as i've never made a AC-DC converted PSU before. But its time to learn!

The small amount of testing you have done looks interested to be honest. I just wonder if it worth going to that extent to put into this. I'm kind of feeling using the HC-SR501 module as a daughter board or even just copying the circuitry onto my board like your original idea here.

[scalz]

I would advise you same thing. but maybe hc-sr501 could be enough?? imho you don't need a 1uA thing if you will power it via AC. If I would use AC, this is what I would use I think. Plus, if there is other bigger power hungry sensors, maybe the pir is nothing vs them..

[Samuel235]

@scalz, I have tried to keep everything pretty low on power consumption with the components that i have chosen. This is costing me a little more than the higher powered components and no doubt, causing me some hard work when it comes to integrating it all together but i feel that the long road that it will go down will be worth every minute with people onboard to develop this module. I'm yet to see something else on the market like this, the only thing is the popular NEST protect products and the FIBARO Smoke detector, which isn't as 'clever' as this hopes to be.

[Nca78]

Hello @scalz did you have any positive result with e931 ?